Your ViewsKeep your e-mails pouring in, it's good to know that there are lots of you out there with views and opinions. To help you work out what is what, are now little icons to help you see biscuit related themes. And now you can see at a glance which are the most contested subjects via this graph (requires Flash 6.0 plugin). Please keep your mails coming in to nicey@nicecupofteaandasitdown.com | If you like, you can use this search thingy to find stuff that matches with any of the icons you pick, or use the fantastic free text search, Yay! | Your e-Mails |
Justin Bellinger |
Hello Mr and Mrs Nicey,
Firstly, if I may, a nice big thank you for a refreshingly brewed web site; it doesn't get much better than this.
Secondly, I would like to be a bit contentious, and put my two pence of input into the raging debate that is pink wafers.
Simply: they are great, should be compulsory in schools and must be included in any decent biscuit selection; or what kind of selection is it?
I would, however, concede that they do have a fundamental flaw, and, as much as I hate to draw attention to it, it is only fair if we are to undertake a true discourse on the subject that it be mentioned. So, here goes: you can't dunk them without ruining the drink (preferably a nice refreshing cup of tea) that they are being dunked into.
Now, while I can sympathise with those that do not like them for that reason, I feel we must stand back and look at the bigger picture, or selection if you will, because there are obviously many biscuits that can also ruin a perfectly good cup of tea if dunked into it.
I myself have been prone to the odd "hidden fault line" problem of digestive biscuits on many occasions; and we all know that a soggy quarter of a digestive in the bottom of our favourite brew will have a tendency to ruin the brew entirely, despite our frantic efforts with a tea-spoon to the contrary.
After much research, however, I have devised a cunning and dastardly plan to "solve" this situation, and in the interest of international biscuit relations, I feel I should share it here, with your wonderful readers at nicecupofteaandasitdown.com (not to be confused with that roguish pretender with the co.uk domain name!) And the solution is this: Don't dunk them.
Now, I know what you're thinking: he started that sentence with an "And." I'm sorry, I know it's wrong, as are contractions, but sometimes we have to do and say the radical so that we can get through these biscuit problems together.
So, in conclusion: don't deride the humble, if ever so tasty pink wafer. It's had a place in my heart, and in my assortment collections for all these years, and it would be a sad, sad situation were it to be allowed to disappear forever.
I know it has problems with dunking; but occasionally so do all biscuits, and that shouldn't be a reason for biscuits to be excluded from an assortment, especially one that has served us so long and well.
OK, that's me done. I wish you all, even you non-pink wafer loving biscuit eaters, a very merry festive season and a very happy, pink wafer filled, new year.
Regards,
Justin. |
Nicey replies: That's all right Justin you stand up and be counted. As for for biscuits with hidden flaws a few taps on the side of the biscuit barrel should sort the wheat from the chaff. Actually Nanny Nicey is at NCOTAASD for Christmas and has asked me to point out that she likes Pink Wafers. I'm scared it might skip a generation and that the younger members of staff might force us to start buying them. |
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Emily Hopkins |
Hello,
I'm slightly disturbed by the fact that nearly half of the population in your poll claim to be missing the pink wafers, yet surely no one in their right mind liked them anyway? Is the elusiveness of the pink wafer all part of some sneaky advertising scam by the people who make Rover tins- I'm thinking back to Heinz's 'threat' to get rid of salad cream, which seemed to encourage people to start eating stupid amounts of it just in case it was their last chance and starting petitions and campaigns (personally I was never that fussed about it anyway)- and they didn't exactly miss the opportunity that arose from the threats of a Christmas shortage of Branston pickle either. (Since when has it been a traditional Christmas food anyway?! It doesn't contain alcohol, chocolate, brazil nuts or brussels sprouts!) Hmmmm...I'm probably ranting because I feel threatened and paranoid on behalf of the humble coconut biscuit. I won't let any of the bigger biscuits pick on it!! And certainly not the Evil Pink Wafer. Which is evil just because it's pink (food that pink is wrong).
Hope you have a well earned nice cup of tea and a sit down over Christmas!
Emily
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Nicey replies: That's a fairly well thought out rant. However, Strawberry blancmange, Taramasalata and Salmon must be feeling a bit aggrieved.
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Robert Green |
Hi there,
As a novice to the world of biscuits I am in urgent need of some guidance.
Yesterday at work I availed myself of a cup of coffee and pack of biscuits (Cadbury snack shortcakes to be precise) from our vending machine. Upon retuning to my desk I proceeded to unwrap the biscuits, dunk and taste. Very satisfying.... or so I thought. Little did I realise that I was under the ever watchful eye of my collegues who, upon seeing my actions gave a gasp of shock and disbelief.
What could be wrong with my quite normal biscuit behaviour you may well ask as indeed I did myself. It seems that the schoolboy error lay in the fact that my biscuits were chocolate covered.
Please do not be too hasty to judge. In view of this incident I would be most obliged for some advice. Is dunking chocolate covered biscuits breaking some kind of tea break etiquette or unspoken biscuit rule?
Yours Sincerely
Rob
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Nicey replies: Rob,
The dunking of chocolate biscuits has long been frowned upon as poor manners, however, in recent years it has begun to become more socially acceptable. Just recently as reported in our last newsletter the McVitie's Chocolate Caramel came tops in poll of over 350,000 people. Personally I think its messy and a bit futile in the case of entirely coated biscuits.
In you specific case I would think your colleague would be better advised to direct his energies to worrying about the fact that you to have to drink stuff made by a vending machine. |
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Kathleen McConnachie
Tunnocks Wafer Review |
Gray Dunn Caramel wafers were around in the eighties and early nineties. I know this for sure cos my mum gave my brother one of those away to school with him every year between about oh, lets see...1980-1992? I don't know if they were discontinued or not but they were horrible - they weren't really caramelly, the wafer was too brown, and they distinctly lacked chewiness. The putative "caramel" was in fact a sort of 'orrible caramelly tasting cream. Not nice. Plus they looked deceptively like the Great God of chocolate wafers, the Tunnocks, in the sense that they had sort of reddy-gold retro packaging. Cunning, but evil. To Mike Lewis, I would say if you live in Scotland it is worth going to Henry Healy near the Barras in Glas Vegas where as well as square sliced sausages you can buy bags of naked caramel wafers, devoid of chocolate, which look to have come straight from Tunnocks in Uddingston, perhaps as rejects - lacking the uniformity required for chocolate coating and wrapping....They are so chewy they can silence the average toddler (or pensioner) for upwards of a year and you get enough for a pound to build a log cabin. Although you'd be better using Caramel Logs for that as they are stinking too. Toasted coconut - madness.
Regards,
Kathleen McConnachie |
Nicey replies: You seem to have complex and mixed feelings about wafer biscuits. |
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Snddsn
Graham cracker Review |
Hi Nicey,
First let me say how much I adore the site. I read each day at my desk with my cup of tea (PG Tips) and biscuit of the day. As engineer I am a bit regimented so I have a biscuit of the day. Monday's are ginger nut day as I find the zing exactly right to shock me awake from my lazy weekend but I digress. I too am an American but having been introduced by my grandmum to digestive biscuits at an early age, I always preferred them to our graham cracker (except on S'mores at GirlGuide Camp). I am writing because I am concerned at your lack of sleep due to your wonderment of the straight edges and un-rolled ends on graham crackers. I would not want a lack of sleep and slumber to interfere with your Christmas Biscuit Review duties nor the round of holiday functions with Wifey and the Younger Staff. Graham crackers are indeed baked on a large single sheet then, while still warm and pliable, the crackers are cut to form the long rectangles you and Wifey took from the box. The serrated divisions and "steam holes" are formed in the last stage before baking. The ends/left overs are used to make graham cracker crumbs for baking or handed out to Girl Guides on tour munch on delightfully whilst visiting the gift shop at the biscuit factory. So fear not the waste and go back to bed.
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Nicey replies: Dear Snddsn,
Thanks for that info. Actually I've just got up. |
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